Graveside services for James E. "Jim" Ballard, age 69, of Dublin will be held at 4:00PM on Saturday, October 6, 2012 at Dublin Memorial Gardens. Dr. Jack Brown will officiate. The family will receive friends at the cemetery from 3:30PM until funeral hour. He passed away on Friday, October 5, 2012 at Serenity Place. Mr. Ballard is a native of Laurens County and a graduate of the Dublin High School Class of 1961. He received an Associate in Arts Degree from Middle Georgia College in 1964 and a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from Georgia Southern University in 1966. In addition, he earned a Master of Business Administration Degree from Georgia College in 1971 and a Master of Science in Administration Degree from Georgia College in 1977. He received the CPA designation from the State of Georgia in 1976 and later taught accounting and tax courses for Middle Georgia College and Georgia College. Jim was a Veteran of the United States Army serving in Vietnam and stationed at Qui Nhon. Mr. Ballard served twenty five years as an IRS revenue agent. After retiring from the IRS, he opened the firm of James E. Ballard & Associates, CPAs in Dublin and recently merged with J.F. Kimmons & Associates. Mr. Ballard was a member of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and an assistant Scout Master in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 560 under the sponsorship of Pine Forest United Methodist Church. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Dublin and the Masonic Laurens Lodge 75 F&AM. He was preceded in death by his father, James L. Ballard; grandparents, Myrtle and Bunyan Dixon and Sally and James Fort Ballard. Survivors include his wife, Mary Stewart Ballard of Dublin; children, John (Alicia) Ballard of Dudley, Sherry (Ty) Moorman of Dublin and Mark (Amy) Loyd of Dublin; mother, Edna L. Ballard of Dublin; grandchildren, Matt and Chip Moorman, and Fairby, Marlee and Mason Loyd, all of Dublin; sisters, Barbara Ballard and Pam Ballard both of Dublin; brother, David (Janice) Ballard of Dudley; niece, Beth (Jason) Martin of Dudley; nephews, Matt (Kelly) Ballard and Andy Ballard, both of Dudley; great-niece Caroline Martin of Dudley; great-nephew, Wade Martin of Dudley; aunts, Gladys (Adrian) Aaron and Betty Ballard, both of Dublin, Jeanette Thomas of Wedowee, AL, Betty Sue (Mike) Fowler and Vondell (Don) Holliday, both of Athens. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to the Gideon's International, P.O. Box 27, Dublin, GA 31040 or to Georgia Baptist Children's Home c/o First Baptist Church of Dublin, 405 Bellevue Avenue, Dublin, GA 31021.